The ultimate party guide!

Satheesh Narasimhan and Robin Bhowmik were just your everyday buddies looking for a fun night out in namma ooru a few months back — when the city’s ambivalent party scene got to them, in the most frustrating manner possible.
“Every place that was supposed to be ‘happening’ turned out to be a dud! And we were unsure who to ask where the real deal was. Inspite of being a Chennaiite and a hardened party animal — I’ve clubbed in over 35 countries across the world — we had to end the day, disappointed. This led us both to a brainwave,” remarks Satheesh, who is a techie, running Mobilyzed Software in Bengaluru, along with Robin.  

The duo soon realised this problem wasn’t just relevant to Chennai; it was applicable all over the world! Where do you find the best music, DJ of preference, and ambience of choice on a particular night? If you’re with friends, family, on a date or looking to hit it off with a stranger — are there any specific spots? How does one identify themselves to a bouncer as an elite customer to gain quicker access? Most essential of all, what’s happening and what’s not?
All these questions confuse even the most ardent of club hoppers at times — no wonder then that regular folk are baffled! “The answer was quite simply, to come up with the ultimate party guide — not just in India, but internationally! Hence, we decided to develop the Lektrify app. We knew it would be ambitious involving tons of research, but we really wanted to improve the party culture… beginning right from Chennai. So the launch was here,” Satheesh adds.

They also roped in fashion choreographer Karun Raman as their brand ambassador (his designated ‘party boy’ image was a bonus) and voila — Lektrify became a reality. Karun tells us, “A lot of work went into the design and layout as well (even inebriated people need to use it!) and here’s the best part: the users are not just the customers; it’s for the pub managers as well. They can figure out whom to upgrade or blacklist; send pop-up messages or broadcasts for free drinks or entry to all users on a slow day, and so on. Users can open up a live feed on how a concert/ gig is progressing, rant or rate! Since this is a global project, I’m going to be doing a lot of travelling over the next year or so.”

Lektrify is already available on Android and will be on iOS shortly, but namma Chennaiites will get the first stab at it, concludes Satheesh — “It will enhance the nightlife here, and encourages more people to step out and have a good time. After covering India, we shall tap several Asian countries... then Europe awaits.” Will the app live upto its expectations? Only time will tell. But the launch sure was a fun affair with many well-known faces in attendance. Sameea looked gorgeous in a red cocktail dress, while Santana oozed charm in a pretty maxi gown. Namitha showed off her curves in a nude bodycon and boots. Sneha Nair, Sam Paul, Kartheban and others were also seen.